Cash registers ring in holiday season

Armed with lists, customers line up for bargains before sunrise

Facing wintry temperatures, long lines and zealous crowds, shoppers swarmed Lawrence stores Friday for a day-after-Thanksgiving spending frenzy that has become a holiday in its own right.

“Everybody’s in a good mood,” said Rose House, a shopper from Eudora who was checking out deals at Sears, 2727 Iowa. She woke at 4 a.m. for an early assault on the Lawrence stores with her daughter, Julie White.

From discount stores to departments stores, the scene was similar. Lines. Carts filled with boxes large and small. Hands riffling through wares.

The motto: anything for a deal.

Dimitra Atri, a KU graduate student, stood in a line that wrapped around Best Buy, 2020 W. 31st St., in the predawn hours. He had bypassed sleep completely and headed to the store at 4 a.m.

Atri said it was a bit cold for such a feat. But later, with a $60 television set boxed and at his feet, Atri was victorious.

Black Friday shoppers, clockwise from left, Wanda Knight, Marsha Knight and Sarah Knight, 11, all of Lawrence, shop at Sears, 2727 Iowa, early Friday morning. The trio joined hordes of Lawrence shoppers scouring the town for day-after-Thanksgiving bargains.

“It was worth it,” he said.

The crowds could be a little overwhelming. Heather Turner, of Lawrence, said she’d rather pay a bit more money than have to stand around for a long time.

“This really isn’t my kind of shopping,” she said. “I’ll probably hit two stores and call it good.”

By 7:30 a.m., Robert Walters had survived throngs at six Lawrence stores.

The experience at his first stop, Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa, was memorable.

“They were shoving people around like crazy,” he said. “A few people were getting stepped on.”

Undeterred, Walters kept moving. With a television in his cart, he planned to drop it off in the car and head to another store.

Some shoppers doled out cash even if they didn’t need to.

Erika Copp, another early-morning shopper who made it to Wal-Mart and Sears during the early hours, said she didn’t think the deals were that great. But the way sale items are displayed makes shoppers feel like they have to snatch them up before someone else does.

“They’re creating a psychological drama,” she said.

And in the spirit of the day, Copp allowed herself to fall for it.

“I don’t even like coffee,” she said. “I bought a $3 coffee pot.”

Big picture

Nationally, steep discounts and expanded hours drew hordes to the nation’s malls in what merchants hope are signs consumer spending will be lively for the holidays. More people jammed the stores early, according to early reports, and more than a few testy shoppers scuffled in a rush to grab bargains, from notebook computers to cashmere sweaters.

Several major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Macy’s, as well as mall operator Taubman Centers Inc., estimated they drew bigger crowds on the official start of the holiday season than a year ago. Lena Michaud, spokeswoman at Target Corp., which had a strong holiday season a year ago, said traffic was at least as heavy.

No single standout was reported among toys, and popular items included Hasbro Inc.’s Idog, Fisher-Price’s Dora the Explorer’s Talking Kitchen, and Zizzle Inc.’s iZ, according to John Barbour, president of Toys “R” Us’ U.S. division, who reported “brisk” business.

“This is the most promotional Black Friday we have seen,” said Scott Krugman, a spokesman for the Washington-based National Retail Federation.

While the day after Thanksgiving officially starts the holiday shopping season, it is no longer the busiest shopping day. Last year, it was Saturday, Dec. 18, a week before Christmas, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.